1/365 Outside the Window

Day 1: Outside the Window: What’s the weather outside your window doing right now? If that’s not inspiring, what’s the weather like somewhere you wish you could be?

Outside my window it’s raining. Rain has never evoked strong feelings in me. I’m not a singing in the rain type or a curl up into a blanket recluse. For me it was just water from the sky that kind of made it harder to get from place to place and inevitably always ended up in my shoes. Peanut, on the other hand, haaaaaates rain. And because Peanut hates something it has now made my life more complicated.

Peanut is my four-year old fur child that I recently adopted from a shelter. I’ve been taking care of him for a little over two months now and his list of dislikes is beginning to grow with each day. Babies, cats, mail men, squirrels, baths, lack of attention, too much attention, being in the house by himself, but at the top of this list is rain. Evidence is beginning to support the theory that he might be part cat. He freaks at the idea of getting wet and runs away from his owner’s love. Definitely cat like. Although, since he has already illustrated a distaste for the feline kind it would infer that he hates part of himself. An enigma, wrapped in a riddle ladies and gentlemen.

The first time I tried to introduce him to the harmless water droplets he followed me all the way to the stairs, and then retreated as soon as I opened the door. I figured that he would eventually go outside when the call of nature grew too strong. I was underestimating his hatred. Instead, I was forced to pick him up, thank god he is only twenty pounds (even when he goes full boneless). Once he was out there he still looked at me through the side door as if I was the cruelest human in the world.

Peanut warming up after being outside in the elements.

Next step was to put him on a leash and force him to walk the very small square of grass that is our backyard. When that didn’t fool him I had to upgrade to a full walk out in the real world, where his love of freedom outmatched his hatred of rain. This of course is very inconvenient for mother dearest, but I’m a first time dog mom and I cave under pressure.

A similar tactic was used when the blizzard hit about a week ago. Before having a dog, I wouldn’t think twice about the backyard and now I have to shovel a path for him so he doesn’t sink. Due to unseasonably warm weather all twenty-two inches are close to disappearing, which both Peanut and I are happy about.

The magic of snow kind of disappears once you’re an adult. There are no snow days, you have to spend several hours digging out your car, and then even as soon as you leave your spot there is another asshole behind you waiting to steal it. And what once was the pure white snow pile you used to dream of sledding on is the brown,gross crap that is blocking all the streets. I’m obviously a little bitter, but what do you expect? I can’t even get my dog to use the bathroom when it rains.